Illinois Football: 5 biggest Illini commits from the state of Texas

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 05: Illinois Fighting Illini band members cheer on the football team during the Big Ten Conference game as the Illini take on the Michigan State Spartans on November 5, 2016, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. MJ Rivers #976

The No. 5 player to don the list of the best Illini recruits from the state of Texas is incoming freshman MJ Rivers. He is a member of the class of 2018 and should be a key player this upcoming season.

Rivers is a 6-foot-4, 213-pound dual-threat quarterback from Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 976 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 27 dual-threat quarterback in the nation.

Illinois snagged Rivers and he signed this past December. He gives the Illini depth at the quarterback position, which is something they haven’t had in a very long time.

Entering the 2018 campaign, no one is really sure who will start at quarterback. Illinois only had one quarterback with playing experience on the roster in the spring – Cam Thomas – but he didn’t show a ton of great things last year.

I wouldn’t doubt if Rivers came in and took the starting job as a true freshman. I am not sure if they want another true freshman starting, but he might be the best quarterback out of the bunch. What I know for sure is he is the best quarterback from the state of Texas the Illini have snagged.

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